Python is great for the desktop and web. I personally use it for one-off scripts and custom desktop apps (w/ PyQt for GUI). If you’re already happy with C++ & Java, I could understand why you would have a hard time finding a place for Python – those languages probably already meet a lot of the needs that Python would handle. I’ve had the same problem with Ruby (among other languages) – it doesn’t really let me do anything new, it doesn’t remarkably affect my productivity, and my current tools seem reliable enough, so it’s tough to justify learning yet another language when I can just sit down and solve my actual problem with a language I already know.

There were definitely a lot of negative comments surrounding free day, but I hope that won’t stop SF and others from trying similar stunts in the future. I’d like to think that the complainers represent a (very vocal) minority. You guys did a great job, and anyone that expected more simply wasn’t being realistic. Thank you for your generous gift and your hard work!
To those who weren’t able to get an order in: That’s a bummer, but there wasn’t enough for everyone, and we all knew that going into this thing. It still sucks, but I would humbly suggest that you spend your energy innovating instead of complaining. Show us what you can do without $100 of free parts. Be awesome.

I just picked up one of these displays with on a breakout board. It has a controller that is semi-compatible with the Epson controller. Here’s the scoop:
I’m able to draw to it just fine, and mirroring/rotation work.
There is no 8-bit color. Only Type A 4096 color mode exists – DATCTL byte 3 seems to be completely ignored.
The 0,0 position of the display is offset by 2 along the y-axis (page address). Some mirror settings appear to alter the 0,0 offset.
The colors are washed out, even after adjusting the contrast. It may be that the backlight is too bright, but I can’t test that theory without pulling the display off of the breakout board – something I’m not eager to do.

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